Respect
by The Cloak
Summary: Axel convinces Roxas that he must fight to gain respect in the Organization.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

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**I have the next chapter held hostage, and I'll only post it on one condition- I get 1 review**

**P.S. This is my first EVER publication**

**Note:** **I know it's not very long, but this is an introduction. The main story (if you want to call it that) will be in the next chapter.**

**Chapter 1**

"Yo, Number Thirteen." Roxas heard as a spiky-haired man came jogging up to him. "So, we finally have a number Thirteen. Looks like our little group is complete now, huh?"

"Who are you?" Roxas asked.

"The name's Axel. Got it memorized?" The red-haired man said."

"It's a four-letter name." Roxas said to Axel. "A baby could memorize it."

"I like the way you think, and you are?"

"Roxas."

"Well," Axel said. "You're number thirteen, even younger than Demyx, and I don't know if you can fight yet. You're not gonna be getting much respect here."

"Well…can I change that? You know, raise my rank or something?" Roxas asked.

"Unfortunately, no." Axel said. "Ranks are given depending on when you join. But, you can get some respect, even if you're not a senior member."

"Well, how?" Roxas asked.

"Battles. Who would you like to start with?" He asked.

"Well, I guess I'd start with the newest member besides me, right?"

"So you're willing to fight Larxy?" he asked.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Hey, it's your funeral." Axel replied.

--

**I have the next chapter held hostage, and I'll only post it on one condition- I get 1 review**

**P.S. This is my first EVER publication**


	2. Chapter 2

**That does it! If I'm not getting any reviews I'll post it anyway, so there.**

**4th ever publication**

**Chapter 2: Larxene**

He approached number twelve's room cautiously.

"Axel, are you serious about that story you told me about number twelve, is he really that bad?" Roxas asked.

"Depends." Axel replied.

Roxas knocked on the door. A young girl opened it. She was probably Demyx's age-maybe a few years older, but what made her look older was her sadistic-almost evil-smile.

"Axel. What do you want?" she said.

Roxas spun around to his new friend. "Axel! You didn't tell me she was a girl! I can't fight her!" He said in a strained whisper.

"Excuse me!" Larxene said. "Are you saying that you're afraid of hurting me!? Who are you anyway? I haven't seen you anywhere?"

Roxas was speechless at her assertiveness, but Axel gave him a punch on the shoulder to answer.

"I'm Roxas. Number Thirteen." Roxas said.

"Oh, you're the new member. You look weak. I suppose you're here for some advice or something?" Larxene said boredly.

Roxas turned to Axel. "What am I supposed to do? I can't fight a girl!"

"C'mon!" Axel said. "Just tell her that you want to challenge her to a fight. Trust me."

Roxas turned back towards Larxene who looked like she was about to slam the door in their faces. "Um, actually I came to…challenge you to a fight." He said stupidly.

Her face brightened immediately. "Oh, come in."

"Okay" Roxas said, confused by her change of heart. Axel stepped in after him.

"So when do you want to do this?" she asked.

"Um…"

"No time like the present." Axel said from behind him.

"Hm. Okay, you better be ready." She said. "I'm going to enjoy seeing you in pain."

With that she dashed at him. Roxas could dash very fast. He could also use his light powers while he was dashing to distract his opponents. But, he had never seen anyone put an amazing display like this. As she dashed, bolts of lightning came up behind her and struck the walls.

Roxas, dazzled by the lightning, was kicked to the floor. He got back up to see Larxene laughing.

"You seem just as weak as you look." She teased.

Roxas got back up and summoned his two keyblades.

"Finally, we're taking this seriously." She said as lightning traveled down her arm and daggers appeared in between her fingers.

They both dashed at each other and clashed weapons. Roxas, having the advantage of strength began to overpower her. Then, she spotted an opening and kicked him in the stomach again. This time Roxas stumbled, but did not fall. However, the Oathkeeper was knocked out of his hand.

He dashed again, but this time swerved right just before she hit him, and tried to attack from the side. She jumped over his keyblade just in time and swiped her daggers at him. One of her knives scratched him on the cheek, drawing a small line of blood. He dashed behind her as she landed and tried another attack. This time he connected. She almost fell to the floor, but caught herself with her hands and turned it into a flip.

Now she kept her distance and cast a lightning spell in his direction. He blocked it with his keyblades and dashed at her once more. She sidestepped his attack and kicked at him. While he was stumbling from the kick, she slashed him with all 3 kunai that she held in between her fingers and he fell on the ground with 3 slashes on his back.

Larxene, seeing that she had won, said, "Maybe you should try again later." She laughed.

Roxas got up and limped out of her room.

"Axel," he said regarding the man that had just said goodbye to Larxene and followed him out. "Do you think this is worth it?"

"Definitely, if you don't have respect in this Organization then everyone treats you horribly." Axel said. "I mean have you seen Demyx?"

"No, actually I haven't. Who's he?" Roxas asked.

"You'll meet him someday."

"Anyway, if I'm still going to challenge people then I guess I should just go to the next number, which would be Eleven." Roxas said.

All of a sudden, Axel had a doubtful look on his face.

"What is it?" Roxas asked.

"Well, Facing Marluxia right now is not the best idea for you." Axel replied.

"Okay." Roxas said, accepting the fact that this, Marluxia, was stronger than him. "How about Number Ten?"

Axel brightened up. "Luxord, you will have a chance against."

--

**PLEASE READ: I'm serious this time. No review-No next chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3

**To get Taiki Watanabe off of my case...PLEASE review. **

**P.S. Haven't written the last chapter yet, so even if you review it might take a day or two.**

**Chapter 3: Luxord**

This time Roxas knew that the Organization was no stranger to people coming at their door challenging them, so now he knew that he didn't have to be embarrassed. He knocked on the door to Luxord's room. A man with short light blonde hair and goatee answered.

"Greetings." Luxord said in a British accent. "What are your motives for being here?'

Roxas was prepared this time and spoke up. "I'm here to challenge you to a battle."

"Well, well." He said. " A challenge, is it? Quite optimistic aren't we?"

Roxas was slightly confused that Luxord didn't take this quite seriously.

"Well, if you are insistent on us quarreling then we shall execute this properly." Luxord said as he made a portal inside his room. As he turned to enter the portal, Roxas saw two earrings on his right ear.

Roxas followed Luxord into the room, but before Axel could follow Luxord stopped him.

"Axel, I'd prefer if we were allowed to settle this without outside interference." Luxord said. Axel didn't look happy about it, but didn't argue as Roxas and Luxord stepped into the portal.

Roxas reappeared on a cliff. As he looked around some more, however, he saw that it was more of a giant gray balcony.

"Where are we?" Roxas asked.

"It is known as Havoc's Divide." Luxord replied.

"Okay." Roxas said, not understanding any meaning in the name.

"Well then, are you prepared for battle?" Luxord asked as he rose and hovered about 1 foot off the ground.

Wondering what weapons Luxord would use, Roxas summoned his keyblades.

"Proceed." Luxord said.

Roxas dashed quickly at Luxord, but a card even bigger than he was came and shielded him. Roxas jumped back and looked as the card disappeared with Luxord hovering behind it. Then, many normal-sized cards appeared behind him and shot out at Roxas, who put both his keyblades up in front of him. Underestimating how deadly the cards were, he ignored the ones that would only scrape and focused on the ones coming head-on. He blocked the head-on ones, but the ones that grazed his side tore through his cloak and left several scratches that began to bleed.

Luxord made more of the giant cards appear on the ground and they began to scatter. Roxas, not knowing what to expect and deciding it too risky to attack, stood in a defensive position. All the cards rose up around him. They all shot out the lightning-fast and razor-sharp normal-sized cards. Roxas tried blocking them and succeeded-mostly. After the cards disappeared he had several more scratches on his arms and face.

"You're not defeated so far." Luxord said. "You play the game quite well."

Roxas dashed at Luxord once more. Then all of a sudden, Luxord moved faster than he had seen anyone-even Larxene and himself-move. Luxord easily dodged his attack.

"How did you do that?" Roxas asked in bewilderment. "I haven't seen anyone move that fast."

"I didn't become swifter. You became slower."

Wondering what this man's element was that allowed him to do such things, Roxas attacked again.

"Quite a slow student, aren't we, boy?" Luxord said as he easily avoided the attack. "I'll have to admit that you are the fastest person in this Organization besides Larxene. However, no matter how swift you are, I still have the ability to hinder your speed."

Roxas inwardly sighed. Wasn't it Axel who had suggested that Luxord was the weakest member next to Number Nine-who Roxas still hadn't met? He'd have to remember not to take Axel's judgment so seriously.

Roxas readjusted his keyblades to a defensive position. However, Luxord made no move of attacking.

"Do you plan to prolong this forever, boy?" he asked amusedly.

Roxas decided that maybe he should try one more attack. He rushed at Luxord once again and swerved to the side, stopping behind him, and attacked. Luxord's razor-sharp cards came inches to Roxas's face. Luckily, he had summoned a Light Shield to block them. However, it wasn't enough, Luxord was behind him in an instant and had placed a card resting on his neck.

"Fold." He said simply.

Roxas, realizing that he might be serious, made his keyblades evaporate into the air. Luxord made a portal behind him and stepped inside it. Roxas followed.

Axel sat boredly leaning against the wall outside Luxord's room, whistling a song he remembered from his life as a Somebody. Then, Luxord stepped out of a portal that had formed outside the door. He watched as Roxas followed him, a scowl on his face pointing towards Axel.

"So, who won?" Axel asked.

Luxord returned to his room with a grin on his face and Roxas started walking down the hall. Axel ran up to him.

"You said he was weak." Roxas grumbled.

"Okay, well I've never actually seen him fight. Sue me. But seriously, Demyx is weak. He refuses almost every challenge thrown at him. I know you can beat him."

According to Axel's description, Demyx did sound genuinely weak. Of course, Roxas hadn't met him and had decided that Axel's judgment was not to be trusted. But, still…

"Fine." Roxas said. "I'll give Demyx a try."

"You see, that's the spirit." Axel replied.


	4. Chapter 4

**No hard feelings,**

**The Cloak**

**Chapter 4: Demyx**

Roxas, as he had done many times before, stood at Axel's door.

"What is it?" Axel asked from behind the door.

"I'm going to challenge Demyx. You gonna come?"

Axel opened the door. He was apparently sharpening his chakrams, because he had them out lying next to a metal wheel.

"Nah, I've got a mission and I gotta get ready, but tell me how it turns out ok."

Axel picked up his chakrams and walked past him. Roxas went over to Demyx's room alone. He knocked on the door. It opened to reveal a young man a little older than Roxas, with a Mohawk in the middle of his head and a mullet coming out of the back.

"Hi! I haven't seen you around before." He said. "Are you new?"

"I'm Number Thirteen. " I replied.

"It's nice of you to come over," he said. "None of the other members ever visit me."

Roxas was confused that this guy was in the Organization at all. Who was he? Was he just trying to trick Roxas into thinking he's nice?

"Actually, I came to challenge you." I said, interrupting him.

Demyx's face dropped at once. "You picked the wrong guy for this… but okay. I guess I can't avoid this forever."

"So where are we gonna do this?" Roxas asked.

"I'm not used to this. I thought you'd have something planned." He answered.

Roxas sighed. What was with this guy and his _completely_ unprofessional attitude?

"Actually," he said. "I do kind of have a private spot that we could go to."

"Fine." Roxas replied.

Demyx made a portal and stepped inside. "C'mon."

Roxas followed. He found himself standing on a sandy beach.

"This is where I practice playing my sitar." He said.

Seeing the massive ocean right next to them, Demyx obviously had home court advantage. Demyx raised his hand in the air, pulled water out of the ocean, and formed a sphere above his hand. When he crushed the sphere there was a flash of blue and he was holding his sitar.

Roxas dashed towards him – swiping at him. Demyx got hit, but slammed Roxas with the back of his sitar at the same time. Roxas went out and kept his distance. Demyx's sitar summoned the water out of the ocean and shot it out at him. Roxas rolled over to the side to dodge it and rushed at Demyx, hitting him squarely in the side. Roxas went for another blow and hit, but on his third, Demyx blocked it with the neck of his sitar and hit Roxas with the pointed end of it. Roxas got a cut along his stomach from the spikes. He jumped away. Demyx started levitating in the air. Then he flew in Roxas's direction – pillars of water bursting out of the ground behind him. Roxas got hit by one and got thrown into the air. He spun in the air and was able to land on his feet. He ran at Demyx, but he had created a sphere of water around him. Realizing that the water sphere was shielding him, Roxas backed off and waited for the right moment. When Demyx realized he wasn't going to attack, the sphere of water around him burst into all directions. Roxas made a light shield to block the water from hitting him. Then, he shot the shield out at Demyx, hitting him and knocking him over. Roxas dashed up to Demyx and put his keyblade above his head. Demyx slowly pulled his sitar close to him and strummed.

A water clone of him formed behind Roxas and smacked him with its water sitar. Demyx got up.

"Dance, Water, Dance!" he yelled as more water clones of him formed out of the ocean and moved onto the beach. He began playing his sitar wildly. The water clones loved it. It made them stronger.

Roxas was swinging at the water forms quickly, after time there was only a few left, but then more started forming.

_I have to have a talk with Axel about who he considers weak._ Roxas thought as he took out two more clones just to have another one crawl glide out of the ocean toward him.

Roxas decided that it was time to finish this. He floated up in the air and formed 13 shields of light around himself. Then he released the shields in a tidal wave of light - destroying all the clones and knocking Demyx down on his back. Roxas landed back down on the ground, drained of energy.

_It'll be a while before I can use a move like that again. _He thought.

He walked over to Demyx, who was getting up and grabbing his sitar. He dashed at him and knocked the sitar out of his hand.

"I give up." Demyx said.

Roxas helped him up and Demyx formed a portal. They both teleported back to the castle.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Axel**

Roxas was frustrated with Axel yet again. Axel had said that if he won a fight, then his respect would skyrocket. His explanation for his still present lack of respect was:

"You beat Demyx, big deal. He's a weakling."

Roxas had decided to let Axel win this argument so he changed the subject. "Fine. I guess I should move on to Number Eight, then?"

Axel got a wicked smile on his face. "No way. Number Eight is way too tough. If you fight him he'll squash you like a bug."

Roxas seemed uncertain. He now knew that the Organization members were defeatable – and that gave him confidence. "I think I should at least try."

"No way. You're no match for him."

Roxas was about to give up, but he still had one more question. "Who is Number Eight?"

"Well, if you're that stubborn then I'll take you to him."

Axel created a portal and they both stepped in. Roxas came out and saw himself in a blue and green area. It looked almost like a hallway, but it stretched on forever.

"Axel…where are we?" he asked.

"Betwixt and Between." He answered. "Now we can cut loose."

"What?" Roxas asked.

"Nobody to hold us back now!" he said as he summoned his chakrams.

Roxas, surprised but taking things in stride, summoned his keyblades. "You're Number Eight?" he asked.

"Axel. Number Eight. Got it memorized?" he said. "And without any walls, there's nothing holding me back."

Just then, a wall of fire sprang up around both of them.

"BURN BABY!" Axel yelled as he threw a flaming chakram at Roxas.

Roxas blocked it and it went flying back to Axel. Axel lit both his chakrams on fire and dashed at Roxas. Roxas barely dodged the first few swipes, but on the final one, Axel hit Oblivion – swiping it out of Roxas's hand. Roxas jumped away and re-summoned Oblivion into his hand. Axel ran at him and scored a blow to his chest. The chakram had cut Roxas, but the fire cauterized the wound almost instantly. Roxas rushed straight at Axel, hitting him in the side.

Then Axel jumped out of the circle of fire. Roxas looked around, but couldn't see through the wall of fire. Then, Axel came out of nowhere and swiped Roxas across the chest. Roxas fell down, but recovered from the blow and blocked Axel's next hit. Roxas dashed at him while Axel threw on of his chakrams straight at Roxas. Roxas deflected it with a light shield and continued running toward Axel, hitting him in the chest as he ran past. Roxas jumped backwards and landed right in front of Axel. Roxas swiped again, just as Axel shot fireball. They both fell on their backs.

Roxas rolled back onto his feet to see Axel rising into the air. Then he flew in Roxas's direction, pillars of fire sprouting up behind him. Roxas, recognizing the move from when he fought Demyx, rolled out of the way and jumped into the air. He swiped at Axel as he flew by again, knocking him to the ground. Roxas dashed at Axel before he got up and raised his keyblade in front of Axel's face. The flames died out instantly.

"You're pretty good." He said.

Roxas didn't know how to respond. He had just had a duel with his only friend in the Organization and Axel wasn't taking it seriously at all.

Noticing this, Axel said. "Lighten up. I only wanted to test you."

"For what?" Roxas asked.

"For the senior members." He replied. "If you can't beat me, then you have no chance against them."

Roxas decided to accept that excuse. "So… that means that the senior members are numbers Seven and up."

"Not really, but Saix is second-in-command anyway. I'd skip Saix for now and fight Number Six – Zexion.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry if I'm late.**

**Chapter 6: Zexion**

Roxas stood at Zexion's door. He was slightly nervous, this being his first fight against a founding member. Axel was next to him, encouraging him to get it started. Roxas knocked on the door. A short man, only a couple inches taller than Roxas answered. He had silver hair pushed over to the left side of his face – covering his eye and going down to his neck.

"What are you doing here, Axel?" he asked, ignoring Roxas.

"I'm not here for anything…he is." Axel replied.

Zexion stared at him as Roxas stood there silently. They just stared at each other for about ten seconds.

"Not even a hello?" Zexion asked.

Realizing his mistake, Roxas said. "I'm Roxas. Number Thirteen. I'm here to challenge you."

Zexion rolled the eye that wasn't covered by his hair. "Get in." he said.

Roxas and Axel followed him in. "We'll fight in here." Zexion said.

Roxas summoned his keyblades. Zexion pulled a book out of his cloak. Axel stepped back and watched. Roxas dashed at him, but right before he hit him, Zexion disappeared. Roxas stepped backward waiting for Zexion to reveal himself. All of a sudden, the entire room became black. When light returned to the room, Roxas gasped. He was in Twilight Town. The first, last, and only place he saw before going into The World That Never Was. How had he gotten here?

"Roxas." He heard Axel say behind him.

Roxas turned around and saw Axel walking toward him. Roxas turned away from Axel and asked. "How did we get here?"

All of a sudden, Roxas felt spikes slash across his back. He fell to the ground. Roxas looked up and saw Axel with his chakrams out.

"Axel, why did you do that?!" Roxas yelled.

Then, Axel transformed from Axel into Zexion. "So you fell for it." He said flatly.

Roxas gritted his teeth and dashed at Zexion. Zexion faded away before he could be hit. Then, Axel appeared again and created a circle of fire around him and Roxas. He shot a fireball out of his hand and then lit his chakrams on fire and threw them. Roxas blocked all three attacks and ran at Axel. Axel caught his chakrams and blocked Roxas's attack. Then, the ring of fire disappeared along with Axel.

Roxas waited nervously. Then, a red beam hit the ground next to Roxas. Roxas looked up and saw a man with long gray and black hair. He was holding what looked like a deformed gun. He shot at Roxas again.

"Given the order you're going in, I trust you haven't met Xigbar yet?" Zexion said.

Roxas turned around and swung at Xigbar. Then, Xigbar warped out of the way. All of a sudden, Xigbar's arm appeared right behind Roxas's head and fired. Roxas fell to the ground. It had burned him badly. He got back up slowly. He didn't see Xigbar anywhere. Then, he saw a warp form and an arm slowly sneak out of it. He turned around and swiped the gun out of Xigbar's hand. The hand receded back into the warp. Then, Xigbar appeared in front of him – floating in the air. He reached over to grab his gun, but Roxas knocked the other one out of his hand and hit him in the stomach. Xigbar disappeared along with his guns.

All of a sudden, Roxas felt something burning hot slam into his back. He fell on the ground and looked up. He saw Xemnas – the Nobody that had recruited him. Xemnas swiped at him with an Aerial blade. Roxas rolled out of the way and swiped at him. Xemnas blocked it, and attacked Roxas – hitting him in the stomach. Roxas fell to the ground, and Xemnas dashed a circle around him – leaving Aerial Blades trailing behind. They shot out at Roxas. He blocked the first few, but the others hit him and knocked him into the air. Then, black and white thorns appeared around him and Xemnas came up and stabbed him straight across his back.

Zexion watched as Roxas stumbled a few more steps. He walked up and hit him Roxas again. He fell unconscious on the ground. Zexion transformed back into himself and created a portal. He picked up Roxas by the scruff of the neck and walked through the portal. He appeared in front of Axel's door and dropped Roxas's body onto the floor.

--

**Now if you want another chapter you have to review...please.**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm not very happy with the way this one turned out. Eventually I just said "Forget it! Publish it! Move on to Chapter 8!"**

**Chapter 7: Vexen**

Roxas looked around Vexen's lab. It was amazing. He saw a cylinder full of water (for keeping things cryogenically frozen, Vexen had explained) and, with a bit of nervousness, an operating table.

"So, do you plan on fighting or staring at my facility?" Vexen asked in a rude tone.

Roxas drew his keyblades as Vexen summoned his shield. Roxas ran at him. Vexen blocked it with his shield. Roxas spun around and attacked again. Vexen blocked it and smacked Roxas with his shield. Roxas flew through the air.

Roxas landed on his feet and Vexen did a spell that sent spikes of ice toward Roxas. Roxas jumped in the air to dodge them and came down, swiping at Vexen. Vexen blocked it with his shield again. Then, Vexen created a dome of ice around Roxas.

"I'm very busy with my research." Vexen said tauntingly. "I don't have time for neophytes like you. The mere thought that Number Thirteen could defeat Number Four is absurd."

Roxas listened to Vexen brag on. Roxas began creating shields of light around him. He planned to explode them in an aura of light – as he had done with Demyx. When he could feel the 13 shields surging around him, he released all the shields around him. The shields broke through the ice that Vexen had created.

Vexen looked shocked. Roxas ran at him and attacked. Vexen got hit once, but recovered and blocked all the others.

"Finally, I've gained enough data!" Vexen said.

Roxas didn't know what he was talking about.

"Witness my scientific genius!" Vexen shouted as his shield created a blinding flash.

It took a while for Roxas to recover. As his eyes adjusted, he saw a black-coated person standing beside Roxas. Funny, that black-coated figure looked almost like…

Then, the man in the black coat drew two keyblades and ran at Roxas. Roxas blocked, but the coated figure dashed behind Roxas and hit him in the back. Vexen came up and smacked him with his shield. The Roxas Replica attacked again and then Vexen and the Replica double-teamed him. Roxas barely escaped the madness. He ran to the other side of the lab, made a portal, and retreated back to his room.


End file.
